Show I Ch J Pv I K ZIl liv A Im IDe D nv r was watchful Sitting across the the campfire from the two prisoners he did not permit their least movement to go unnoticed And the rifle was always at his hish h hand nd The Wreck hoped that he ho might become drowsy even an Instants Instant's in instants instant's instants instant's In- In stants stant's nod would be sufficient But Denver was apparently a n. person who could dispense with sleep when he ch chose se and this was obviously one of the occasions He was a haired black-haired s saturnine person ap app app apparently ap- ap p p rather stupid yet smart enough to devote himself single- single handed to the vigil that had been ord ordered red by his chief Sally and the Wreck made an effort to pass time in conversation but they felt no freedom of ot speech In the presence of ot Denver who us- us lisIt t ned but offered to take no part His pre presence ence discouraged talk p par pr particularly particularly par par- r- r as the one subject they j wished to discuss was escape escape was prohibited because there was nothIng nothing noth noth- ing else els to do until l a n toned deep rumbling noise Interrupted Sally In Inthe inthe I Ithe the middle of a sentence l Thunder she remarked casual casual- ly h wonder r If it we got caught In a storm Uh said the Wreck gloom gloom- 11 ily He could Imagine nothing more uncomfortable than sitting there In Ina Ina ina a downpour The camp did not even boast a tent tOnt There was more rumbling from fromback fromback fromback back In the hills and and twice were flashes In the black skies Den Dell ved wed added a couple of ot sticks to th the j fire tire and huddled back again still with the rifle between n his knees I 1 suppose well we'll get wet re remarked remarked re- re marked Sally In a A. resigned tone Well Vell theres there's nothing on me that I will m get hurt Let It rain said the Wreck Th There r was a n. stirring o of leaves on the topmost branches of the trees followed b by an n atmospheric slug slug- that became oppressive The lightning was growing more brilliant and frequent the noise noie from the skies shies was multiplying multiply multiply- ing itself Just lust one ne more discomfort discomfort fort tort to be endured the Wreck re reflect reflected re re- d they se seemed med to have en encountered encountered encountered en- en countered nothing but bad luck since they left the Bar M. A fresh roll roil of ot thunder and a second later Sally touched his arm He glanced toward her and found that her eyes were watching Denver across the fir tire fire What he asked I 1 didn't say anything answered Sally There was a faint frown on her I forehead which he Interpreted as an order no not to ask questions Yet he lie i knew w. w th there re was something she he wanted to say to him hini She was still looking at Denver and the the Wreck also looked The study brought roUght him no enlightenment O Denver nver s sat t stolidly and watched them hem without Interest rest yet with a that was admirable Pres- Pres the Wrecks Wreck's at attention wan wan- More thunder and a another touch If f his arm Sally was still sUlf staring it tt the man on the other side of the theIre theIre theIre Ire What Wha did she mean nean The Wreck also fell tell to staring although he tried to do It In an unobtrusive manner Apparently It some- some hing to do with Denver An instant later he had bad a glimmer f understanding There was a flash then an interval of three or four seconds then a deep bellow that echoed echoed- heavily through the woods Denver's head twitched his glance lifted itself for an Instant Instant instant In in- In- In stant toward the tops three-tops then he huddled back and glared again at his hla prisoners The Wreck settled himself to He had not long to wait watt A vivid play of ot light In the skies sides a series of or rolling crashes Denver's head twitched again In Involuntary ac accompaniment accompaniment ac- ac his shoulders stirred and there was a restless m movement of ot one hand Once more his eyes sought Hought the blackness overhead only to wince when it was gashed with witha a white streak Sall Sally t and the Wreck exchanged glances the latter making a faint movement of ot his h head ad to signify that he understood Denver was afraid of ot a thunderstorm It seemed so absurd that for an instant the Wreck want wanted d to laugh Stolid In Insensitive Insensitive insensitive In- In sensitive to human contact with a Jaw fashioned perfectly for a heavyweight heavyweight heavyweight heavy heavy- weight champion and a physique that matched It It Denver was WA-S the Ideal bully and bad man Habitually Habitual Habitual- ly he wore an expresion that told of his to violence Without fear he would take his chances with a sheriff or anybody else But Buthe Buthe Buthe he was afraid of thunder and lightning light lIght- nin ning The heavens crashed again flarIng flaring flaring flar flar- ing In two different directions Denver Denver Den Den- ver responded automatically with ItI a It twitch that ted his whole bod body I The pair of ot watchers saw him tighten a quivering UP lip He favored them with a of defiant suspicion would better better better bet bet- a a warning that they ter keep out of f his private affairs Sally Saly turned her eyes upward Its getting nearer every minute min mm- ute she told the Wreck Yes were we're going to catch it I only hope it rains too said Sally The dry storms are the worst You bet they are are agreed the Wreck I dont don't know why but its it's always ahva's so And Its It's always worse In the woods on account of ot the trees Why I remember remember- swallowed l. l The sound of t her voice was sI lowed up In a roar Something had been struck and not very far fardis dis distant tant they could feel feels feela tremor Jn In In the ground Denver's head seemed to shrink behind his shoulders and for fora forIt a It second his eyes closed tightly Then they opened with a j Jerk rk of ot terror as he remembered his pris pris- That was close said Sall Sally In Inan Inan inan an awed tone and with a meaning glance at the Wreck Im afraid were we're going t to be right In the center of it If it would only rain Well weve we've got to take our chances chance declared the Wreck sol sol- sol sol- What can we do Nothing she sighed Only Denver er was biting savagely at his under lip and the fingers of ot one hand were vere drumming nervously on the ground Does It hit much in the woods he asked suddenly There Thera was a sort of emptiness In his voice More th than n anywhere else ans answered answered an- an j j s ered the Wreck But It doesn't I do any good to run runS If Its It's going to I get you It'll get you ou as sure as a a. a agun gun Im lm Ini Im I'm afraid Im I'm getting nervous nervous nerv nerv- ous ous whimpered Sally The skies flared and detonated again and with a little shriek she threw around round the Wrecks Wreck's neck I Henry she cried I His eyes were stealthily watching Denver and his hand was creeping cautiously toward a n. stick of ot split wood that lay near the fire I Not yet yet wait wait Sally was whispering whis with her lips close to his ear Give him a minute or two more Hes He's slipping fast I The Vre Wreck k waited He found round it difficult to believe what he saw S w with his eyes Denver's big body had sagged loosely and his shoulders shoulders shout shout- ders dora were trembling He was wa a man manon manon manon on the verge of a panic but nerve nerve- less His lips twitched grotesquely his eyes seemed to be staring at nothing He wanted to shut enem but he dl di did not dare I I f i I nt d' like It it f he mumbled In a petulant voice I I 1 Its awful a cried Sally God help us groaned the Wreck I There was a lull a sudden bl blast st of wind vind In the trees then a fresh onset of fury from front the skies Flash and crash were blended In a terrifying terrifying terri tern ensemble e Sally still clutchIng clutch clutch- Ing the Wreck kept her eyes on the theman theman theman man beyond the campfIre His body swayed his hands clasp clasped d themselves In a sudden paroxysm and there was a dull agony In his eesI eyes ees I 1 cant can't stand It he whined whine In Ina Ina ina a high falsetto Suddenly he crossed his arms on his knees and buried burled his head He was sobbing Now whispered Sally The Wrecks Wreck's fingers had closed on the split plit stick He rose to his hobbled feet balanced himself took aim and flung It furiously at Denver's head Instantly ne tie followed followed fol tol- fol- fol lowed It leaping across the fire and hurling himself on the huddled hud hud- 1 Idled dIed figure Denver went over on his back and the Wreck clutched for his throat Grab his gun he cried to Sally She was scrambling toward It when she saw him roll roU off the re recumbent recumbent recumbent re- re figure hitch himself Into a sitting posture and begin the task of untying his feet feetS No hurry hurr said the Wreck reck Hes out cold I dont don't know whether er It was the stick of ot wood or whether he Just fainted Get your feet teet loose bel before ore we do anything else Sally went to work at the cords that hobbled her nero The Tho Wreck cast casta castI I a contemptuous contemptuous' glance at the f flabby lab flab labby b by inert form of Denver the bully I The big simp he said as he shook his feet free I Oh I dont don't know said Sally Sall working feverishly Its horrible when youre you're afraid like that You cant can't help it Ive I've seen ma when she was Just as bad And we had hada a 3 cowpuncher r once who was was even evenI I worse although he was a terrible I fighter An And Ancl lI l- l I The bellowing storm obliterated the remainder of the the- sentence As she stood up free tf Ot her bonds she shook her head as though to throw off oft an unpleasant sens sensation You can say what y yu gu u like she declared but its it's a pretty mean storm Just the same Im I'm not claiming claiming claim claim- I ing to enjoy It myself To be continued |